Car-fender



w. B. GARHARD. CAR FENDER. I APPLICATIOM FILED OCT, 2!, 1920. 1,389,943. PatentedSept. 6,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

W. B. GARRARD.

CAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. 1920.

Patented Sept. 6,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BURDETT GARRARD, OF VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, ASSIG-NOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-FOURTH TO ALFRED C. BLACK-ALL AND ONE-FOURTH TO THOMAS E. ADAMS, BOTH OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CAR-FENDER.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

Application filed October 21, 1920. Serial No. 418,433.

- cation.

My invention relates to car fenders and consists of a fender of a type which employs acatch frame or, a frame the principal function of which is to catch and support any object with which it may collide, and a trip frame, the function of which latter frame is to trip the supporting mechanisms of the catch frame and thus permit it to be thrown down so as to, with greater certainty, pass under the object with which the fender collides.

The features of my invention which I believe to be new and upon which I desire to obtain a patent, will be hereinafter set forth and then particularly defined in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a fender which will more certainly pass under and catch the person or object which the fender strikes and which will, at the same time, be simple and cheap in construction and quick and reliable in its action.

In the' accompanying drawings I have shown my invention embodied in the construction which I now prefer to use.

Figure 1 is a perspective showing the fender in the position in which it is carried while in use, the same being shown as mounted upon a car.

Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section through the mechanism of the fender, showing parts 1n their normal position of use.

Fig. 3 1s a similar view showlng the catch frame thrown down until it contacts with tacts with the pavement and so that it may also be swung upward into a vertical position, in which position it may be carried when its services are not necessary as a fender, as when it is at the rear end of the car.

The parts of my fenderare mounted upon a-vmain or base frame 3, herein shown as composed of two joined webs, one extending vertically and the other horizontally, these being connected at their ends by vertical webs, or quadrants 30. This base frame is supported from the car in any suitable manner. As herein shown, struts or arms 4: are employed, these being secured by one end to the frame 40 of the car. The manner of supporting the fender from the car will vary in accordance with the circumstances, and the special type of supporting means do not form an essential feature of my present invention.

,Pivoted upon the end webs 30 of this base frame, is the catch frame 1. A shaft 5 is also journaled in the end webs 30, at a point forward of and below the pivot 10 of the catch frame. This shaft carries two arms 50, which arms extend upward with a rearward extension at their upper ends, in which rearward extension is journaled the trip frame 2. These trip arms 50 are mounted so as to have a limitedswing in a fore-and-aft direction. The shaft 5 has an arm 51 secured thereto to which is connected a spring 52 by which means a constant strain is placed thereon, acting to throw the trip arms 50 forward. This results in holding the trip frame 2 forwardly, except it be forced backward by overcoming the effort of the spring 52.

The catch frame 1 has a transversely extending bar 11, so positioned as to engage with a notch or shoulder 53, formed in the forward face of the trip arms 50 at such an elevation that, when the catch frame is supported thereby, it will extend forwardly in such position that it will be held raised from the track, or substantially in'the position shown in Fig. 2. This is the normal position when the fender is in use.

To insure prompt swinging, of the catch frame down, or into the position shown in Fig. 3, a spring 6 has its rearward end supported in any suitable manner from the frame of the car, as by a depending arm 60, and its forward end secured to an arm 12 which is fixed upon the catch frame 1 and extends downwardly and outwardly therefrom, or in such position that the spring 6 lies outside of the ends of the base frame 3. One of these springs and its corresponding arm 12, is supplied at each side of the catch frame. The function of this spring is to promptly throw the catch frame down when it is released, and also to hold it in raised position after it has been raised into the vertical position, or as has been shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The trip frame 2 extends farther forward than does the catch frame 1. Its front edge has the same transverse-extent as does the catch frame, so that in striking any person or object upon the track, itis the trip frame 2 which first strikes. If this trip frame 2 be forced rearwardly with relation to the catch frame 1', it is evident that the supporting engagement of the trip arm 50 with the catch frame is released and the weight of the catch frame, together with the pull of the springs 6 downward, acts to promptly throwthe catch frame down until its forward edge contacts with the pavement. In

this position it will not pass over any obj ect which may be upon the track.

7 In case the object struck is sufficiently elevated to fall upon the trip frame 2, it will support the same in safety. If, how ever, the object be such as a body lying upon the track, the trip frame 2 may pass over'it. In this event, the rearward position of the front edge of the catch frame 1 with relation to the front edge of the trip frame 2, is such that the catch frame will be forced downward so as to pass under the object. It is possible that the trip frame 2 might override the object but if this occurs the catch frame 1 will pass under it and the object will be held between the two frames.

I have provided means whereby the trip frame and the catch frame may be locked together toward their outer edge when in the position of use, as is shown in Fig. 2. This consists in the hook armor arms 13 carried by one of the frames and a transversely extending rod or pin 14 carried by the other, these being placed so that the open side of the hook arm 13 is in such position that the backward movement of the trip frame will release this connection. As

illustrated, the hook arm or finger 13 has passes outside of the ends of the base frame 3' and swings across the pivot centers of said frames, whereby the tension spring acts upon the raised frames 1 and 2 to retainthem in raised position and makes it The positions of the spring 6 and arms 12, are such that the spring 6 possible to swing them down into position ofuse by applying enough force toovercome the action of the spring .6, If necessary or desired, an arm or bar 7 may be secured to the base frame 3, soas to limit the upward and backward swing of the trip and catch frames, when they are put in the position of non-use.

The manner of operation of the fender is believed to be evident. The trip frame, extending fartherforward than the catch frame, would first strike the object. The action of the spring 52, by which this frame is held forwardly, is not such but that the frame would be forced rearwardly with relation to the catch frame 1, without striking a very heavy blow. As soon as this rearward action hasstarted, the catch frame 1 is released, so that it will swing downward. The action of gravity in swinging this frame downward is increased by the pull of the spring 6, so that the downward movement of this spring is quite rapid. It is believed that with such a fender it will be highly improbable that any object struck by the fender would not be caught by one or the other of the two frames 1 and 2. The entire construction of the device is also very simple and of such character that there is little if anything liable to get out of order. 95

What I claim as my invention is: I V 1: A safety car fender comprlsmg a catch frame, a trip frame above and extending forwardly of the catch frame, both said frames being pivoted at their rear to swing vertically and separately, a spring acting to throw the catch frame down when released to contact its forward edge with the pavement, and supporting means for said frames releasable by backward movement of the trip frame.

2. A safety car fender having a catch frame hinged to swing downwardly from its normal position, vertically extending levers pivoted to swing-rearwardly, a rearwardly movable trip frame connected with thesjaid swinging levers, said levers and the catch frame having'engaging parts normally supporting the catch frame and released by a backward movement of the catch frame.

3. A car fender having a catch frame hinged at its rear to swing vertically, a trip frame hinged rearwardly and extendingforwardly of the catch frame, a catch-framesupporting means releasable by a backward movement of the trip frame, both frames being adapted to swing into a vertical position'of non-use and springs connected with the catch frame and adapted to swing across the pivot axis of the catch frame as the latter is swung between its positions of use and non-use, whereby said spring will act when the fender is in position of use to throw the catch frame down andcto hold it when raised to position of non-use.

4. The combination with a fender pivoted toward its rear to swing up into vertical position when not in use, of springs outside of the side margins'of the fender fixedly sup,-

. ported rearwardly of the fender and having connection with the fender outwardly from its pivot and acting in a line extending below the pivot of the fender, said line of action of the springs swinging across the pivot axis of the fender when the fender is swung up, whereby the springs will hold the fender in position of non-use.

5. The combination with a fender pivoted at its rear to swing upward, arms extending downward and laterally from the fender sides forward of its pivot and tension springs connected with said arms and with a fixed support rearwardly of the fender pivot, said springs being without the side margins of the fender and positioned to swing across its pivot when the fender is swung between upper and lower positions.

6. In a fender, in combination, a catching frame pivoted to swing vertically, a trip frame pivoted to swing vertically and also to have a bodily fore-and-aft movement, the

catch frame having hook fingers projecting rearwardly, the trip frame havin transversely extending fingers positioned to extend under the hook fingers of the catch frame when the parts are in the normal position of use, and trip arms normally supporting the catch frame and releasing it by a backward movement of said trip arms, the trip frame being connected with said trip arms to control their position.

7 A safety car fender comprising a base frame adapted to be supported from the car and to extend transversely thereof, a catch frame pivoted upon said base frame, a pair of upwardly extending trip arms pivoted upon said base frame beneath the catch frame and forwardly of the pivot of said frame, said trip arms and the catch frame having supporting engagement for the latter releasable by a backward movement of the trip arms, a trip frame, pivoted to said trip arms and extending forwardly of the catch frame.

Signed at Victoria, British Columbia, r 

